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Equinox
Chapter One Dr. Ethbo Kairus stared at the papers from his office in Ponyville, deep in thought in his small home. So long had it been since he felt this relaxed - it was comforting, if not rewarding. He began writing the normal formalities on the forms that plagued him, waiting for his guest. There was a knock on his door. He wondered if that was the somepony that he wanted to see, or perhaps she came as a spiritual patient? For that, he did not know. He stood, and answered the door. Rainbow Dash stood at its frame, still wearing the red and black suit the ponies of the Order had donned for so many years. "Ah, Rainbow. Come on in, darling." "Thanks, Ethbo," the cyan blue mare replied, her rainbow mane a tad bit messier than usual. The mask of the suits had a tendancy to do that. She was seemingly depressed, saddened by her future, inevitable losses. Those three fillies, whom she had cared for. It seemed fair - so much time she had put into their purification, yet it was all for naught as they walked right into the castle that night. "So, what did you want to talk to me about?" Rainbow asked silently. "Hush, not with the door open. They may hear us. Go to the dining area, I'll get you something to drink." "Okay. I'll be waiting, then." Kairus closed the door, and locked it. He trotted into his kitchen, retrieving two glasses and bottle of champagne. He filled the glasses, and then brought them out to the dining area. Dash was sitting there silently, a look of gloom spread across her face. Kairus put the champagne glasses down, one beside her and one beside himself, and sat down in the chair across from her. "Have some champagne. It may help you feel better." "Thank you." Rainbow grabbed the glass carefully, and took sips. "Will you be staying here for the night? It is the Eve, you know." "Yeah, I may as well." She rolled the liquid in her glass. "So... why'd you want to speak to me? You made it sound important." Kairus sipped his champagne, formulating a simple response. "Twilight, the mistress, has gone insane." "Heh. That's pretty bad coming from you, at least according to everypony else." Kairus chuckled. "Yes, I put on a fine act, don't I? But, I mean, sincerely. Awhile ago, when she made you watch the Eve's Sacrafice, she violated one of the Order's most sacred traditions. Granted, you agreed to do so, I'd imagine it was because you had little choice, no?" "Pretty much." The rainbow-maned mare replied. "Your point?" "My point is, those fillies should have been released. One of Starswirl's order rules states that anypony who has bonded with an impurity must take as much time possible to purify them. It is not until that pony deems them absolutely hopeless that they should be sacraficed. But, by the Mistress's orders, that won't happen. She is violating our deepest traditions. She needs to be overthrown." "OVERTHROWN?! You really are out of your mind!" "Shhhh. Rainbow, Starswirl the Bearded laid down that rule in the very same text we follow as law. If the Mistress violates traditions in excess, and jeopardizes the Order, she must be killed and the Second Sister - that being you - take her place." "Kairus. I don't know. I don't know if I could do that." "You will have to, one day, Rainbow. But please, relax. I have a plan." "A plan to kill Twilight?" "Yes. Over the course of the next year. Then you and I can take the Order, and bring it back to it's proper place. We're supposed to be helping ponies, not killing them left and right. Only the most hopeless must go to the altar, but that has failed in itself under Twilight's reign." "Okay then. Keep going." "Tomorrow night, there will be a revolt. Obviously, we must try to contain it. But, ultimately, I see us failing. Those three fillies you know - they're incredibly intelligent. By no means are they as impure as Twilight claims. I can imagine they're making a plan right now, and if not, they'll do it right in the middle of the chamber. Some of the children will die, as will some order members. Others will escape. After that, you must distance yourself from the Order, and when it comes back together from disbanding - I will give you your call. Then, the rest of the plan will be put into action."